Mullen: US Action in Iran last resort

[CTuttle]

Source: Associated Press

Mullen: US Action in Iran Last Resort
By LOLITA C. BALDOR (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
October 18, 2007 10:10 PM EDT

WASHINGTON - While military action against Iran is a last resort, the U.S. has the resources to attack if needed despite the strains of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the top U.S. military officer said Thursday.

Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the focus now is on diplomacy to stem Iran's nuclear ambitions and its support for insurgents in Iraq.

But, he told reporters, "there is more than enough reserve to respond (militarily) if that, in fact, is what the national leadership wanted to do."

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons could set of an arms race in the Middle East. "The risk of an accident or a miscalculation or of those weapons or materials falling into the hands of terrorists seem to me to be substantially increased," he said.

Appearing together before reporters for the first time since Mullen became chairman on Oct. 1, they expressed concern about Iran and Turkey - hot spots commanding attention even as the military focuses on the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Read more: http://my.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20071018/4716da40_3ca6_1552620071018699081713

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'There is more than enough reserve to respond...' WTF!!! Earth to Mullen...!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. I want some of that good shit the Admiral is smoking

serious!

[Kool Kitty]

2. Wait a minute-

I've already seen this movie.

[gateley]

3. "The focus now is on diplomacy"? What diplomatic gestures have we made,

pray tell. Doesn't diplomacy entail talking between parties? How's that going, Condi?

[leveymg]

4. What worries me about Mullen is that he uses the term "national leadership" without irony.

He also seems to have embraced the idea of the Long War between Good and Evil. At least, that was in a pep talk he gave just before he was nominated to Chair the JCS.

I'm more than just a little concerned we may miss Gen. Pace.

[Flabbergasted]

5. Joint chiefs chair says U.S. could take on mission in Iran. (Enough Reserves)

Source: AP

Joint chiefs chair says U.S. could take on mission in Iran
Associated Press - October 18, 2007 3:43 PM ET


PENTAGON (AP) - The new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says he doesn't think the U.S. military is stretched too thin to take action against Iran, if that's what leaders decide to do.

Navy Admiral Michael Mullen told reporters at the Pentagon that there's "more than enough reserve" to carry out such a mission.

Mullen also said Iran's activities, including its support for terrorists, are a cause for "a huge and growing concern" about where that country is headed.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he thinks Russia's Vladimir Putin is serious about trying to defuse the crisis over Iran's nuclear program. He says Putin sees Iran as "a security concern for Russia."

President Bush yesterday told reporters that "if you're interested in avoiding World War III," you should want to keep Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.



Read more: http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=7233290&nav=2CSf

[TheDebbieDee]

6. Well, of course. Does anybody seriously expect any

current senior military commander to say something like, "We've got our plates full. We can't adequately defend the military interests of the United States on any subsequent fronts!"

I think * is talking junk to Iran because it would be crazy to admit to the world that we won't take military action against Iran "Cuz we just don't have enough troops!"

[monktonman]

7. Lets see what he says after he retires n/t